Aerosol dispenser anti-clogging device



y 2, 1957 J. R. FOCHT AEROSOL DISPENSER ANTI"CLOGGING DEVICE Filed Feb. 16, 1965 INVENTOR.

JEHN R1 cHn/w FocHT HTTOR/UE Y5 United States Patent 3,317,091 AEROSOL DISPENSER ANTI-CLOGGING DEVICE John Richard Focht, Yonkers, N.Y., assignor to Precision Valve Corporation, Yonkers, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 433,036

. 4 Claims. (Cl. ZZZ-402.13)

This application relates to an improvement in plastic dispensing caps for use in conjunction with an aerosol dispenser.

Generally, a dispensing cap comprises an upstanding peripheral wall which may be affixed to the aerosol container and a top wall portion integral with the upstanding peripheral wall and having an opening therein to receive a valve actuator. The tab actuator of said dispensing cap has a socket disposed on the under side of the tab to receive a valve stem of the container. A discharge outlet leads from the socket to the exterior of the cap and when the tab is depressed in the direction of the container to lower the valve stem, the valve is opened and material dispensed through the discharge outlet.

Due to limitations inherent in the molding operation, the discharge outlet is disposed, generally centered, at the deepest portion of a recess of hemispherical shape. Having the discharge outlet so disposed often results in having the contents of the discharge spray fall out onto the well surface with resultant accumulation of container contents on said surface during the normal use of the container. This invention substantially eliminates the .fall out problem. A short spraying time on the order of 15 seconds has been known to produce a harmful accumulation which may either clog the discharge port or interfere with the proper spraying pattern.

It has been found that by elevating the discharge orifice relative to the contiguous portion of the hemispherical well to provide a conical protrusion in the surface of the discharge orifice well results in a substantial reduction in fall out occurrence. The provision of an obtuse angle between the center line of the existing spray and the adjacent wall produces a marked improvement. A further improvement may be realized by providing an opening in the surface of the well that communicates with the atmosphere.

The accompanying drawings set forth embodiments of this invention, it being understood various modifications from the figures shown can be made without departing from the scope of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a cross-section of a cap illustrating the elevated discharge orifice and opening in the well surface communicating with the atmosphere, said section being taken on the line 1-1 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cap of FIG. 1 as viewed from the direction of the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tab broken away from the adjacent portion of the cap showing the elevated discharge orifice and the preferred slotted opening.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the body of the cap comprises a substantially cylindrical wall 1, the upper end of which is extended inwardly to form a top wall 2 provided with an opening 3 in which is hinged a valve operating tab 4. The lower edge of the wall 1 has an internal bead 5 adapted to hook under the rolled edge of the conventional mounting cup to removably mount the cap body on the dispenser container. The cap body may also include an additional outer wall 6 secured to wall 1 by extending the top wall 2 as shown, although the body may be made with or without the additional wall 6 as desired. The top wall of the cap is preferably dished, as shown, although it may be flat. Also,

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'eally or concaved shaped recess 8 having a discharge orifice 9 terminating therein and a rear portion 10 for receiving the finger. As shown, the forward and rear portions form an obtuse angle at their juncture. Further, the tab 4 is provided on its under side with a socket 11 adapted to receive the valve stem of the dispenser (not shown).

Above the socket 11, the tab 4 is provided with an expansion chamber 12 from which a discharge passage 9 leads, said discharge passage terminating in the surface of the recess 8. In previous constructions, the passage 9 has terminated at a point on the surface of the hemispherically shaped recess 8.

In the present invention, the passage 9 is extended a distance beyond the contiguous surface of the well by providing a raised rising portion or projection 13 on the well surface which surrounds the passage 9. The center line of the spray issuing from passage 9 forms an obtuse angle with the surface of projecting portion 13. While a slight elevation of the discharge orifice provides an improvement, it has been found that by providing a conical projection of .031 inch above the surface of a recess having a radius of .106 inch, satisfactory results have been achieved. The dimensions given here are not critical dimensions but represent one particular case where an improvement has been found by utilizing the invention described herein. In order to determine the correct dimension for the conical projection for any particular recess configuration, successively lesser projections may be tried =until minimum fall out is achieved.

A further improvement can be realized by providing an opening, such as, for example, a slot 14 in the recess 8, communicating with space 18 located below tab 4, which space is open to the atmosphere. The provision of the slot allows ambient air to enter and travel across the surface of the Well while spray is exiting, thereby foreclosing any tendency that the spray may have to cause a partial vacuum across the Well surface. Al'- though a slot is shown, a single or series of openings of any shape may be substituted therefor.

In the embodiment shown, the uppermost .portion 15 of the socket in tab 4 is made cylindrical, while the lower portion of the socket is tapered as shown at 11. When tapered, as shown, the valve stem will be guided into the cylindrical portion 15 until it seats therein to form a hermetical seal therewith. An advantage of tapering the socket is that it permits tilting of the tab 4 without any tendency to bend the valve stem and throw it out of line.

The hinging of the tab 4 to the body of the cap may be accomplished in different ways to produce a so-called floating connection between the valve operating tab and the cap body. In the embodiment, as shown the tab is hingedly secured to the body by a relatively narrow integral strip 16 which extends across the front of the tab 4 near its bottom front edge and is secured at each end to wall 17.

Although the embodiment described herein utilizes a tab having a recess containing the invention of the application, it is not intended to limit this application to such a tab-fitted cap. The invention described may be employed with any dispenser utilizing a recess from which spray exits. The recess may be located in the side wall of the cap or in any convenient location.

I claim:

1. A cap for aerosol dispenser-s comprising a cap body having a top opening, a valve operating tab positioned within said top opening and having on its underside a socket to receive the valve stem of a container, said tab further having a forward portion having a recessed region through which discharge of the container contents occurs and a rear portion for receiving the valve actuating force, and a discharge passage communicating at one end with the valve stem and at the other end with a discharge orifice in a conical projection within the recess, said discharge orifice being elevated with respect to the adjacent surface of the recess thereby forming an obtuse angle between the center line of the discharging spray and the adjacent smrface of the projection.

2. The cap of claim 1, wherein the recess is of hemispherical shape.

3. The cap of claim 1, wherein the recess has an opening adjacent said discharge orifice, said opening be- 4 ing in communication with the atmosphere to preclude formation of a zone of reduced pressure across the surface of the recess during discharge of the contents of the aerosol container.

4. The cap of claim 3, wherein the opening is a slot.

References Cited by the Examiner 5 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

M. HENSON WOOD, ]R., Examiner. F. R. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CAP FOR AEROSOL DISPENSERS COMPRISING A CAP BODY HAVING A TOP OPENING, A VALVE OPERATING TAB POSITIONED WITHIN SAID TOP OPENING AND HAVING ON ITS UNDERSIDE A SOCKET TO RECEIVE THE VALVE STEM OF A CONTAINER, SAID TAB FURTHER HAVING A FORWARD PORTION HAVING A RECESSED REGION THROUGH WHICH DISCHARGE OF THE CONTAINER CONTENTS OCCURS AND A REAR PORTION FOR RECEIVING THE VALVE ACTUATING FORCE, AND A DISCHARGE PASSAGE COMMUNICATING AT ONE END WITH THE VALVE STEM AND AT THE OTHER END WITH A DISCHARGE ORIFICE IN A CONICAL PROJECTION WITHIN THE RECESS, SAID DISCHARGE ORIFICE BEING ELEVATED WITH RESPECT TO THE ADJACENT SURFACE OF THE RECESS THEREBY FORMING AN OBTUSE ANGLE BETWEEN THE CENTER LINE OF THE DISCHARGING SPRAY AND THE ADJACENT SURFACE OF THE PROJECTION. 